These boys know little they are sons to the king; They think they are mine; and, though trained up thus meanly I'the cave, wherein they bow, their thoughts do hit Strikes life into my speech, and shows much more At three, and two years old, I stole these babes; Thou reft'st me of my lands. Euriphile, Thou wast their nurse; they took thee for their mother, And every day do honor to her grave.1 Myself, Belarius, that am Morgan called, They take for natural father. The game is up. SCENE IV. Near Milford-Haven. Enter PISANIO and IMOGen. [Exit. Imo. Thou told'st me, when we came from horse, the place Was near at hand. Ne'er longed my mother so 1 i. e. to the grave of Euriphile; or to the grave of "their mother," as they supposed it to be. To see me first, as I have now.-Pisanio! Man! That makes thee stare thus? Wherefore breaks that sigh From the inward of thee? One, but painted thus, Beyond self-explication. Put thyself Into a 'havior of less fear, ere wildness But keep that countenance still.-My husband's hand! And he's at some hard point.-Speak, man; thy tongue Pis. Please you, read; Imo. [Reads.] Thy mistress, Pisanio, hath played the strumpet in my bed; the testimonies whereof lie bleeding in me. I speak not out of weak surmises; from proof as strong as my grief, and as certain as I expect my revenge. That part, thou, Pisanio, must act for me, if thy faith be not tainted with the breach of hers. Let thine own hands take away her life; I shall give thee opportunities at Milford-Haven. She hath my letter for the purpose; where, if thou fear to strike, and to make me certain it is done, thou art the pander to her dishonor, and equally to me disloyal. Pis. What shall I need to draw my sword? the paper Hath cut her throat already.—No, 'tis slander; Whose edge is sharper than the sword; whose tongue 1 The true pronunciation of Greek and Latin names was not much regarded by the writers of Shakspeare's age. The Poet has, however, differed from himself, and given the true pronunciation when the name first occurs, and in one other place : "To his protection; call him Posthumus." "Struck the maintop! O Posthumus! alas.” Outvenoms all the worms of Nile; whose breath All corners of the world. Kings, queens, and states, To lie in watch there, and to think on him? To weep 'twixt clock and clock? if sleep charge nature, And cry myself awake? that's false to his bed? Pis. Alas, good lady! Imo. I false? Thy conscience witness.-Iachimo, Thou didst accuse him of incontinency; Thou then look'dst like a villain; now, methinks, Men's vows are women's traitors! All good seeming, Put on for villany; not born, where't grows; Pis. Good madam, hear me. 2 Imo. True, honest men being heard, like false Æneas, Were, in his time, thought false; and Sinon's weeping 1 It has already been observed that worm was the general name for all the serpent kind. See Antony and Cleopatra, Act v. Sc. 2. 2 i. e. persons of the highest rank. 3 Putta, in Italian, signifies both a jay and a whore. Some jay of Italy, whose mother was her painting, i. e. made by art; the creature not of nature, but of painting. In this sense, painting may be said to be her mother. 4 That is, to be hung up as useless among the neglected contents of a wardrobe. Clothes were not formerly, as at present, made of slight materials; were not kept in drawers, or given away as soon as lapse of time or change of fashion had impaired their value. On the contrary, they were hung up on wooden pegs, in a room appropriated to the sole purpose of receiving them; and though such cast-off things as were composed of rich substances were occasionally ripped for domestic uses, articles of inferior quality were suffered to hang by the walls till age and moths had destroyed what pride would not permit to be worn by servants or poor relations. Did scandal many a holy tear; took pity So, thou, Posthumus, Wilt lay the leaven on all proper men; 1 Goodly, and gallant, shall be false and perjured, I draw the sword myself: take it; and hit Pis. Thou shalt not damn my hand. Imo. Hence, vile instrument! Why, I must die; And if I do not by thy hand, thou art No servant of thy master's. Against self-slaughter There is a prohibition so divine, That cravens my weak hand. Come, here's my heart; Something's afore't. Soft, soft; we'll no defence; Obedient as the scabbard.-What is here? 3 The scriptures of the loyal Leonatus, All turned to heresy? Away, away, Corrupters of my faith! you shall no more Be stomachers to my heart! Thus may poor fools And thou, Posthumus, thou that didst set up 1 The leaven is, in Scripture phraseology, "The whole wickedness of our sinful nature." 66 2 That makes me afraid to put an end to my own life." 3 Shakspeare here means Leonatus's letters; but there is an opposition intended between Scripture, in its common signification, and heresy. 4 Fellows for equals. A strain of rareness; and I grieve myself, Will then be panged by me.-Pr'ythee, despatch. Since I received command to do this business, Imo. Do't, and to bed then. Pis. I'll wake mine eyeballs blind first.2 Wherefore then Didst undertake it? Why hast thou abused Pis. 3 But to win time To lose so bad employment; in the which Hear me with patience. Imo. Good lady, Talk thy tongue weary; speak. I have heard, I am a strumpet; and mine ear, Nor tent to bottom that. But speak. Pis. I thought you would not back again. Bringing me here to kill me. Pis. Then, madam, Most like; Not so, neither; But if I were as wise as honest, then 1 It is probable that the first, as well as the last, of these metaphorical expressions is from falconry. A bird of prey may be said to be disedged, when the keenness of its appetite is taken away by tiring, or feeding upon some object given to it for that purpose. 2 Blind, which is not in the old copy, was supplied by Hanmer. 3 To have thy bow unbent; alluding to a hunter. |